Immigration: 2 to 4.5 illegal immigrants in EU, Malmstrom

Legal migrants to represent 13% population

(ANSAmed) - BRUSSELS, JUNE 1 - "Illegal immigration continues to
from a large part of immigration in the European Union,'' said
European Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom, referring
to the EU 2011 report on immigration. ''By definition no precise
figures are available'' for the number of illegal immigrants
present in the EU, but ''estimates range from 2 to 4.5 million."
Malmstrom underlined the economic potential of legal migration,
pointing out that ''the EU will host 20% of emigrants worldwide,
representing 13% of the European population." The Commissioner
added that ten countries (including Italy who takes third place
after France and Germany, but before Belgium, Sweden, UK,
Netherlands, Austria, Greece and Poland) receive "90% of asylum
requests'' and that ''there are therefore 17 countries who could
do much more." Confirming that the Commission continues its
attempt to conclude the reform of the European asylum system
this year, Malmstrom stressed the importance of ''harmonising''
regulations because the ''current situation is a lottery, in
which the same asylum seeker has a 70% chance of being accepted
in one country and just 1% in another." (ANSAmed)